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Red Aoto

I got a red aoto from Maxim yesterday and wanted to give a review on it. I know it had been previously mentioned in the thread below so i won't go too much into it but i will give my personal opinions.

The stone is large much larger than any other stone i have used and i liked it quite a bit. It is a light reddish color and pretty smooth overall.

The only steel i have right now is vg10 so i started with my shun. This stone doesn't cut extremely fast but it still cuts pretty good. If only using the knife it takes a little work to build of mud but once you get it going it becomes really muddy. With a nagura it works up mud instantly.

After using this stone i would say this could definitely be a finishing stone for kitchens, the edge it left was very toothy but extremely sharp. It left a toothier than my 1k stone in feel but the polish is much higher id say 4kish.

I wouldn't say its a polishing stone by any means but as far as performance it could be your final stone. I used my takashima afterwards and i got the best edge i have had on that knife since i have had it.

I would say all you need is a course stone like a bester 500, this aoto, and a finishing stone( if wanted) and you wouldn't need anything else.

I really enjoy using it and I'm extremely happy with the results i got from it.

I got mine yesterday as well, I am currently working on applying shellac as Maksim suggested. "Red Aoto have to be seal befor use with some Shellac or any Lac", said Maksim in an email to me.

I am hoping to put some steel to the red aoto sometime soon, everything is currently freshly sharpened. If you don't mind I will post some of my thoughts on the stone to this thread to keep them in the same place.

I got mine yesterday as well, I am currently working on applying shellac as Maksim suggested. "Red Aoto have to be seal befor use with some Shellac or any Lac", said Maksim in an email to me.

I am hoping to put some steel to the red aoto sometime soon, everything is currently freshly sharpened. If you don't mind I will post some of my thoughts on the stone to this thread to keep them in the same place.

Sounds great to me. Also if you do seal it can you get a video or some pictures of how to do it?

i wish i had a wide bevel knife to get a good picture on.... i only have my shun right now which is hard to see a finish on and my tojiro Dp boning knife. I can post a few from that if you'd like. Maybe someone else that has this stone can get some better ones??

Thank you for Reviews guys
Red Aoto is actually mined below regular Aoto layer. So it is mind as a finisher and not as Aoto, thats why they are more uniform and more controlled then regular Aotos. When i visited Japan i talked with the miner of these nice stones. And he told me it is actually not profitable business for him to sell these
Because he pays workers to digg them as finishers but he can only sell them as rough stone. I am the only one in the world that sell these because i bought all his stock wile we was there They come from Atagoyama mine. And i bought these from Atagoyama mine owner.

As all Jnats i really recommend to seal them, before use. Specially on soft ones like these. Regular clear lacquer is fine.